from the outside, i was "doing fine."
married. good job. two kids. a dog. the typical checklist.
but inwardly, something was always tense.
i felt like i had to be the strong one the fixer the one who didn't break down.
i loved my husband, but we constantly clashed.
even small things turned hostile.
and no matter how i tried to "open up," something always felt guarded…
like i couldn't relax or trust him fully or myself.
eventually, i realized why.
growing up, my mother was emotionally cold — critical, controlling, and rarely affectionate.
she dominated conversations the way she dominated my father.
and the little girl in me learned: to survive here, i must armor up.
i carried that armor into adulthood.
into my marriage. into motherhood.
and the ripple effect it created?